Chapter Five

[Roman’s POV]

I stepped into the quiet, brightly lit office, my hand wrapped firmly around Ronn’s small, cold fingers.

The room smelled of soft lavender and fresh paper, screaming feminine. I hated bringing my family’s business into places like this, but I was running out of options. My son hadn't spoken a word in months. Despite the past therapists he'd seen, there had been no improvement, and I was willing to cross into any territory to bring him back.

"Hello, welcome to—" That was all I heard before a soft clatter echoed through the room. A notepad had fallen onto the floor. I raised my eyes, locking onto the woman standing beside a sleek wooden desk.

She looked young, in her mid-twenties, maybe. She was dressed in a fitted cream blazer and a pencil skirt with her dark hair pulled back into a neat, professional knot, but her face was completely drained of color. Wide, terrified hazel eyes stared straight at me as if she had just seen a ghost. I hated that I had noticed.

My brow furrowed in mild annoyance. Great. Another civilian who recognizes my face from the news or fears my name. In my world, people either bowed their heads or froze in sheer terror when I walked into a room. Clearly, the doctor fell into the latter category. I didn't have the patience for her panic; I just needed her to do her job.

"Dr. Vanessa?" I asked, my voice flat and cold, cutting through the quiet room.

She flinched at the sound of her name, her small hands clutching the edge of her desk to steady herself. She didn't answer immediately. She just stared, her chest rising and falling in shallow, frantic breaths, as if waiting for me to say something else.

When I stayed silent, she slowly bent down to retrieve her notepad. When she stood back up, her knuckles were white against the leather cover, but she was trying valiantly to patch her shattered composure back together.

"M-Mr...?" She cleared her throat, her voice trembling slightly. "Welcome. Please, take a seat."

"Mr. Vance," I replied coldly, leading Ronn toward the velvet armchairs near the window. "Wait here," I told him quietly, then walked over to her desk. "I spoke with your assistant yesterday regarding an intake session for my son."

"Right. Mr. Vance," she breathed out, sitting down across from us as I returned to the chair. She kept her eyes glued to her notepad, avoiding direct eye contact as if looking at me too long might burn her. "My assistant mentioned you preferred to discuss the background details in person."

"I don't trust intake forms, Doctor," I said flatly, resting my forearms on the armrests and leaning back into the cushion. I stretched my legs forward, making myself comfortable. "My family's affairs stay private. Confidentiality is the only reason I walked through your door."

"I assure you, confidentiality is my highest priority," she said, her voice regaining a fraction of its professional edge, though her hazel eyes still held a nervous dart every time she glanced at my face. "What brings you and Ronn in today?"

I looked back at my son. Ronn kept his chin tucked tightly into his chest, staring fixatedly at his sneakers.

"Weeks ago, there was an incident," I said, my voice dropping into a low, heavy register.

I wasn't about to tell a civilian therapist that rival factions had breached my security, ambushed my territory while I was away, and held my son captive for days. I kept it brief.

"A breach in our security," I rephrased smoothly, masking the dark reality beneath carefully chosen words. "It was... loud, unexpected, and violent. I dealt with the threat, but Ronn was exposed to the aftermath. Ever since that night, he hasn't uttered a single word. He's shut the world out entirely."

Vanessa’s expression shifted. The frantic fear in her eyes melted slightly, replaced by a flash of genuine, professional empathy. She stood up and walked over to where my son was seated, leaning down gently.

"Hello, Ronn," she murmured softly, giving him a small wave. "My name is Vanessa. You don't have to talk to me today if you don't want to. We have plenty of toys over there whenever you feel ready."

Ronn didn't lift his head, but I noticed the subtle drop in his tiny shoulders. He wasn't tensing up around her the way he did with the other therapist's maybe because she was a lady. She was good with him, patient, quiet, and completely non-threatening.

"He needs someone outside my inner circle," I continued, keeping my eyes fixed on her face. "Someone who can build trust without crossing lines."

Vanessa looked back up, locking eyes with me. There was an intense, unreadable storm in her hazel gaze, a chaotic mix of sheer confusion, relief, and strict determination.

"My boundaries are absolute, Mr. Vance," she stated firmly, walking back toward her side of the desk. "My work here is strictly professional, and my only focus will be Ronn's well-being."

I gave her a single, firm nod, completely unbothered by her stiff demeanor as long as she could fix what was broken in my boy. But I knew what I was about to say next would test that composure.

"I have a condition," I said flatly. "You'll have to treat him at my home." She paused, looking at me in disbelief.

"I'm so sorry to say, Mr. Vance, but that's not possible."

"And why is that?"

She hesitated, as if searching for a valid excuse. "I am a busy therapist. I have other patients to attend to."

I let out a slow breath. "See? I knew you were going to say that. I checked your schedule, you're completely free of other clients for the next month." I went straight to the point.  She looked at me, shocked and visibly annoyed.

"Are you stalking me?"

"I have far better things to do than stalk a woman," I replied coldly unbothered. "Here's my deal: I cannot allow my son to be exposed to the public due to ongoing threats to his safety. So, you will be living at my estate until he recovers. Any appointments you miss will be fully compensated and your payment will be settled separately" I paused, watching her face go from shock to disbelief.  "That's my offer."

Not that she even had a choice. If she declined, I'd make sure she never worked again and not just in this city.